Academic Kim Gilson said her PhD investigating the drinking habits of older Australians found thirty per cent of older men were drinking at risk, and ten per cent of women.

"Older people shouldn't be drinking any more than two drinks on any given day in order to prevent long term harm," she told 105.7 Breakfast.

Her research found seven per cent of the older population (average age of 72) was binge drinking - six or more drinks within a short space of time - on a weekly basis.

"Although these figures are a lot less than you'd expect to find in a younger population, an older person is more sensitive to alcohol. A smaller amount can be quite harmful to an older person."

"We asked them what their motivations were for drinking and we found a lot of them drank for social reasons...and for coping reasons - that was the heavier drinkers that were doing that," she said, adding that the heavier drinking often had links to depression.

The research is hoped to draw more attention to the drinking habits of older people, from a medical and policy perspective.

"The other thing is to maybe having specific guidelines for older people - lower guidelines."

Kim Gilson said reasonable guidelines would suggest less than two drinks per day.

"There's a lot of research going on right now...that is supporting having no more than one drink a day and seven a week for an older person."

105.7 Breakfast listeners did not take kindly to the suggestions.

"What a load of rubbish - good luck with that," Wayne from Malak said.

Palmerston man Mitch said his mother of 92 has two drinks every night.

"People die of old age between 75 and 90, don't take away something to dull the pain of pending death," he said.

And Neil from Humpty Doo was also defiant.

"I'm a grandparent and I want them to mind their own business about my drinking."